Private | |
Industry | Art materials |
Founded | 1832London | in
Founder |
William Winsor Henry Newton |
Headquarters | England |
Area served
|
Worldwide |
Products | Oils, alkyds, watercolours, acrylics, pastels, artists' brushes, canvases, papers |
Brands | Cotman |
Parent | ColArt |
Website | winsornewton.com |
Winsor & Newton (W&N) is a company based in London, UK that manufactures a wide variety of fine art products, including: oils, alkyds, watercolours, acrylics, pastels, artists' brushes, canvases, papers, portfolios, and distributes the Derwent pencil sets.
The company was founded in 1832 by William Winsor and Henry Newton. The firm was originally located at Henry Newton's home in 38 Rathbone Place, London. This was then part of an artists' quarter in which a number of eminent painters, including Constable, had studios, and other colourmen were already established.
The standards of quality for W&N's most renowned line of kolinsky sable brush, the Series 7, began after Queen Victoria ordered it should be "the very finest watercolour brush" in 1866. A few months before his death, Henry Newton sold the business to the newly incorporated firm of "Winsor & Newton Ltd.", which included members of both families amongst the shareholders. In 1937, W&N introduced its gouache paints.
The company moved to Wealdstone in northwest London in 1937. After World War II, W&N opened a brush-making factory in Lowestoft. In 1970, the company introduced its first range of acrylics, and the first artists' alkyd oil colour came six years later. Later, in 1992, a series of oil bars were launched.
The Winsor & Newton student range of watercolours was named after John Sell Cotman.